Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Booknotes II (January '13)

Boston Journal reporter Hills provides readers with in depth reportage (his official work plus his personal journals) associated with the 1862 New Orleans Campaign, from the planning stage through the city's capture and occupation. Hill's naval engagement sketches are also reproduced in the book. With so little New Orleans material published, this is nice to see.

The W&WRR was one of the most important logistical arteries in the Confederacy, increasing in importance, especially to the Army of Northern Virginia, as the war dragged on and port after port fell to Union forces. Burke's book looks good in terms of historical depth, with much in the way of supplemental data offered in the form of graphs and tables.

1 comment:

Mr. Hills' journals begin in November, 1861 and cover the Gulf and New Orleans Campaign until he left the area in May, 1862. He returned in December that year and remained in New Orleans until mid-1864. He became a co-editor of The Era with A.C. Hills (no relation). Details of his activities were also found in the journals of another correspondent, Thomas Butler Gunn (British). Only a few pages of Hills' journals were illegible but I was able to paraphrase these. Hills was a well respected war correspondent but his name does not appear on the monument at Gathland, and my efforts to get his named placed on it have failed to date.